About Me

Monday, June 13, 2011

Mitsubishi Fuso back in production.

The disastrous earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11 resulted in a halt in production by Mitsubishi Fuso at Kawasaki, Japan. The truck maker was able to resume limited production March 29 and 30 and has now resumed regular manufacturing of parts and complete vehicles, with the first units reaching North America June 1.

Mitsubishi Bus and Truck Corp sells it vehicles world wide and is part of the Daimler Trucks Div. The evolution of that ownership is contorted: Chrysler acquired a stake in 1970 but that was dissolved in 1993. Volvo bought a portion in 1999 (becoming Daimler Chrysler in 2001). When Daimler got out of Chrysler, it increased its share in Mitsubishi Fuso to the current 89.29%.

Therefore to see a brand new Fuso FE 160 crew cab parked amongst the Western Stars on Saturday was not that much of a surprise, except that Lockhart's are not listed as a dealer on M-F's web site.

For the curious, the word "fuso" means "hibiscus" a flower that has symbolized Japan for centuries.